I’m still trying to properly grasps the basics of the Pet universe. I’m not sure if the show is presented in a purposefully obscure way, or I’m just dim or maybe Pet hasn’t established it’s own premise in that much detail and the writers themselves aren’t too sure what’s what. In any case, I was listening to Satoru explain how image users like him can’t make their own memories and I was like whhhhhaaaaaa???
As a premise this is amazing! This notion that otherwise normal individuals would be unable to form long or even short term memories (à la Memento) but could somehow parry that by borrowing, sharing, stealing(?) other people’s memories. It’s really a fantastic idea. Since so much of our perceptions, understanding, learning…really so much of ourselves is formed through our experiences and therefore memories, a person like that would be an ever changing chameleon. How do you form a sense of self. Is something ineffable retained, a spirit if you will, that ties all those disparate memories into a single personality. Is that what the peak actually does?
Honestly the potential is incredible. However, if that is part of the core premise of Pat, it was so badly explored that by episode 6 I had no inkling of this concept and it wouldn’t have occurred to me had Satoru not bluntly spelled it out. And even then, nothing in the episode would before or after would have lead me to suspect. That’s just a waste of a great premise.
What the episode was actually about is Tsukasa and Hayashi continuing down their path of assured mutual destruction, leaving them both seemingly “crushed” while Satoru and Jun complete their conversation in a surprisingly cute way.
Satoru is in fact very intelligent even if he has been presented otherwise. That’s a nice subversion of his character. I like it. And in the last act, Hiroki also had the chance to prove himself not only unexpectedly level headed but quite resourceful.
And yeah, I liked this episode too. I see where it failed. I wrote 3 paragraphs about it but I was honestly staring at my TV and interested in the next scene. This is something that has never really happened to me before, but I think this story would be much better in manga form. There’s something laboured and ungraceful about trying to fill in the space between panels. Not to mention that by far the weakest aspect of Pet is the tendency towards melodramatic acting which would be mitigated in still quiet images.
I figure Satoru is going to learn about Hayashi and loose it which may put him at odds with Hiroki and Tsukasa. I would be a little sad to see that. Satoru and Hiroki made for an endearing odd couple. I also really hope they spell out what the limitations and full context of image users are for me, cause obviously I’m too slow to figure it out for myself. But otherwise, I’m still along for the ride.
Contributed by Irina
from I Drink And Watch Anime!